Skinny Building Address: Forbes Avenue Year Built: 1918 Width: 36 ft Floors: 3 Function: Commercial Materials: Unknown Style: Unknown Categories: Unknown Architect: Unknown Aliases: None Found Web Site: www.skinnybuilding.com

Long the target of taggers this graffiti ridden building is trying to revive itself as an art gallery. The upper two floors features several windows that could be used to display art to passerbys. The building was in line to be torn down by Mayor Murphy's fifth and forbes project, but now the new plans call to leave the building standing. In 1903 the City of Pittsburgh wished to widen Forbes Avenue. To do so they had to compensate the owners of the buildings that would be torn down to widen the street. Rumor has it that Andrew Mellon salvaged part of his buidling, so that if the city decided to widen the street again he would be entitled to money once more. The building today is only 36 feet wide and you can purchase merchandise such as T-shirts on the street level.

Sources and Copyright
All images, text, and code (c) copyright 2001-2003 William Kammermeier. The following sources were used to obtain information:

Jones, Diana Nelson. The Interactive Edtion of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
      07 November 2002. "Building Stands at Corner of Past and Future."
      <http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/20021107diana1107p1.asp>.

Rosenblum, Charles. Pittsburgh City Paper - ONLINE. 07 November 2002. "A Narrow Escape."
      <http://www.pghcitypaper.com/archives/newsarch/walls/walls02/walls80702.html>.